Army calls on Palestinian factions in Beddawi camp to hand over checkpoints

NORTH LEBANON — Lebanese Army Intelligence in North Lebanon has requested that Palestinian factions in the Beddawi refugee camp hand over the military checkpoints they have occupied so far, so that these can be managed by the army in the coming days.

This call follows the start of significant deployment operations carried out by the army on Saturday, aimed at regaining control of the military crossing points at the entrances to the Palestinian refugee camp. Until now, the entrances to the camp, located north of Tripoli, were controlled by Palestinian factions.

According to a Palestinian source from the camp, speaking to our correspondent, a prior agreement had been reached between the two parties under which the Palestinian factions had agreed to hand over these checkpoints to the military institution, on the condition that the handover would take place before the end of 2025. This has not happened.

The army’s takeover of checkpoints in Palestinian camps is part of the process of disarming militias and armed groups in Lebanon, in line with efforts for the state to exercise the monopoly on arms, a process approved by the Cabinet in August.

This process also involves the thorny issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament.

In this context, a Cabinet meeting is scheduled for Friday at Baabda Presidential Palace to discuss the second phase of the militia disarmament plan, including Hezbollah's arsenal, this time concerning the area between the Litani and Awali rivers, in South Lebanon.

On Jan. 8, the army chief, Rodolph Haykal, presented the latest monthly status update on the “Shield of the Nation” plan, claiming that the objectives of the plan’s first phase had been achieved after dismantling the military structures of the Shiite militia south of the Litani.

During the first phase of its plan, the army disarmed factions affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization in all Palestinian camps in Lebanon. Hamas and its allies, however, refuse to lay down their arms.

Reporting by our regional correspondent, Michel Hallak.